Expat fishermen mishap continues

Manama: The plight of the fishermen who were detained in Iran continues as their families have appealed to the Indian government to ensure their release from prison without further delay. The first set of 15 fishermen – seven each from Kanniyakumari and Tirunelveli districts and one from Ramanathapuram district – was arrested on October 20, 2016 by the Iran Navy on a charge of poaching in their waters and detained in Kish island. The Iran Navy arrested the second set of 15 fishermen, all hailing from Ramanathapuram district, on December 27, 2016, for “poaching in Iran waters” and detained them in the same island. Kanyakumari-based Sahaya Subi, wife of Kiruba, one of the stranded fisherman, said: "My two children and I have been suffering for several weeks. My children stopped going to school, as we have not paid the fees. The fishermen have not committed any crime and had just strayed into Iran waters. I plead with the Union government to take steps to repatriate them."

International Fishermen Development Trust – INFIDET President Justin Antony told DT News that these fishermen detained in the Kish Island are starving, and they are facing lack of clothes and medicines. ‘They need the moral support of the Indian officials. Please do the needful. Their families are in a state of distress, without hearing from them for months, Justin Antony said. ‘We learnt from the sponsor Yousuf Khamees, who confirmed that seven of these fishermen are his employees and he had already paid the penalty imposed by the Iranian court, and he is not happy with the authorities there for they are preventing him from sending money to his suffering fishermen’, Justin Antony said in an appeal to the Indian Embassy officials in Bahrain and Iran. Everyone is very much worried in delay in their coming back even after penalty paid, documents surrendered, he added.

Last month fishermen, family members and members of CITU-affiliated Tamil Nadu Meenpidi Thozhirsanga Kootamaippu took out a procession , urging the State and Central governments to secure the release of the fishermen, who went to Dubai and Bahrain on contract fishing and were arrested by Iran Navy while fishing on the high seas. The hapless fishermen, who had gone for contract fishing after losing their livelihood here, were suffering without basic facilities, food, water and medicine in the island, G. Sugumaran, CITU State general secretary, said addressing the rally, according to a news report in the Hindu.